Hedy Sutulov may very well be Chilliwack害羞草研究所檚 oldest resident, and given how active a lifestyle she害羞草研究所檚 lived, it害羞草研究所檚 not hard to see why.

Sutulov is celebrating her 107th birthday today (Wednesday, Aug. 18) and it was only a little more than 10 years ago that she stopped doing one of the things she loved most 害羞草研究所� hiking.

She hiked to the top of Mt. Cheam at age 85 and went up again (though not to the summit) at the age of 90. She continued to hike until she was 95.

And to access those mountains? She owned a Jeep, naturally.

She had it for 22 years before a thief stole it when she was 101. It happened just a few months after she moved into her current home at Chartwell Birchwood Retirement Residence.

Sutulov害羞草研究所檚 lived in B.C. for more than 40 years and she calls them the 害羞草研究所渂est害羞草研究所� years of her life.

She was born in Vienna, Austria on Aug. 18, 1914, just weeks after the start of the First World War. Her father was in the army and was injured years later while fighting. He was brought back to Vienna and Sutulov vividly remembers visiting him and seeing the shrapnel in his back as her mother helped lift him out of the bathtub.

He died two weeks before the end of the war when she was just four years old. As an only child, Sutulov was left with just her mother and grandmother.

She grew up to become an X-ray technician and worked for decades in her field, first in Vienna and then in Quebec where she was brought in 1951 by the International Refugee Organization. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 the province she wanted to move to, but she had no choice.

害羞草研究所淲e had to go where they put us, so we landed in Montreal.害羞草研究所�

Those first two years were not pleasant when it came to work.

害羞草研究所淚 had to work as a cook and my husband as a servant in an English household,害羞草研究所� Sutulov said. 害羞草研究所淪on of a bitch.害羞草研究所�

She was treated poorly, but after she and her husband saved up enough money, they both returned to their careers of X-ray technician and musician.

Sutulov has been married three times. Her third husband worked for the FBI.

害羞草研究所淲hen he wanted to go to Miami, I wanted to go to B.C. because Miami is too flat for me 害羞草研究所� I want mountains. So he went to Miami, I went to B.C.害羞草研究所�

And here she害羞草研究所檚 been for 41 years.

Her friend at the Birchwood, Leasl White, describes Sutulov in one word: feisty.

They met more than five years ago and have been close ever since.

害羞草研究所淚 love that we can share humour. I害羞草研究所檓 very fond of this little lady,害羞草研究所� white said, adding that she害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渋n awe害羞草研究所� of her friend害羞草研究所檚 life.

Sutulov never had any children and was always a dog person. She had seven dogs in her lifetime and hiked and walked with all of them. Her last dog, Tina, died a year ago.

She has always preferred walking over driving and her words to younger folks is to walk. Pretty good advice from someone who hiked until she was 95 and only started using a mobility scooter about a month or two ago.

Sutulov had her driver害羞草研究所檚 licence until the age of 104. She害羞草研究所檚 a handywoman and has even done some electrical repairs.

Her years of working with X-rays have damaged her hearing and voice, and left her skin with radiation burns. As a result, she had a facelift in 1966 and since then performs a 15-minute facial routine every morning to prevent wrinkles: wash hot, wash cold (no soap), apply cream and then tap and massage the face.

Sutulov has very few wrinkles.

She enjoys the piano, opera and knitting. She害羞草研究所檚 knit 25 pullover sweaters and 16 or 17 cardigan sweaters for herself 害羞草研究所� each one takes about six months to complete.

When asked if she thought she害羞草研究所檇 live to see another birthday, she responded with confidence.

害羞草研究所淲ell, I started the pullover (sweater) yesterday, I have to,害羞草研究所� she said with a smile.

White laughed.

害羞草研究所淪o when it nears her birthday every year, we rush out and buy more wool,害羞草研究所� White said.

Sutulov has plans to spend her 107th birthday with her nephew, who she says is like her son.

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